Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-13

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The ease of international travel and the spread of various kinds of mass media all over the world have made it more possible than ever for people to know how other people live in other countries.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In contemporary society, international travel can be easier and the spread of various kind of mass media, therefore many people can explore different places and culture. I believe this development has a positive development although some are drawbacks and problems. The reasons and relevant example will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, this trend has many advantages. First and foremost, it allows people to explore different culture and tradition. People are able to experience wide variety places by social media, news, and travel documentary and can easily see how people live in other countries. For instance, a person who are passionate about exploring different countries and gain knowledge on culture heritage of different counties, person can do this without going there.

Moreover, people can enhance quality of life and useful adopt practical things. International media allows person to compare education, healthcare and many more sectors, thus people get the ideas. For example, a person who live in India, he can easily compare healthcare and education of the UK by Instagram. People can implement positive ideas and technologies.

Having said that, this trend has also negative development and it cannot be avoidable. Firstly, it can harm local culture and adopt foreign culture specially younger generation on the ground that adults can easily influence and follows other culture . For example, in India, many people do not follow their tradition like wear modern clothes and many more. As a result, younger generation lose their culture and would not pass to future generation.

To sum up, although due to international travel and social media lose local culture, there are many benefits such as exchanging culture and ideas without visiting also possible, adopting possible practical things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention cultural exchange and the adoption of practical ideas, the explanations are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the example regarding India and healthcare is a good start but remains superficial. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more detailed explanation and a concrete, well-developed example that directly links back to the core argument of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'To sum up' to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed, such as in the second paragraph where the transition between the general idea and the specific example is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, particularly the use of 'this trend' which could be more precisely defined to improve the overall cohesion of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'positive development', 'many more', and 'practical things'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'can be easier' (should be 'has become easier') and 'useful adopt practical things' (which is grammatically and lexically awkward). To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary and collocations, such as 'cultural homogenization' or 'cross-cultural integration', and ensure that words are used in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'various kind of mass media' should be 'various kinds of mass media', and 'a person who live in India' should be 'a person who lives in India'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and pluralization would significantly improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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